1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the telephony art and more particularly to a system utilizing a wireless digital link for transmitting audio and data in full-duplex mode between a phone, e.g., a radio or mobile phone, and its accessories.
2. Prior Art
The conventional system connector in a radio or mobile phone has several disadvantages. Among these are 1) small mechanical tolerances are needed for accurate positioning of the connector or accessory, 2) electrical interference is easily induced in the cables, and 3) the reliability of the connector is not good. A wireless or cableless link, such as an infrared (IR) link, between the mobile phone and its accessories can be used to overcome these problems. Among the advantages of such links are 1) alignment of the link connectors does not have to be very accurate, 2) no cables are needed, 3) lightguides can be used to connect distant devices in a noisy environment without induced interference, and 4) the data interface can be hermetically sealed. Also, an IR link, as compared to an RF link, needs no EMS classification, the operating range is locally limited, and a transmission does not penetrate through alls, etc.
Problem to be Solved:
However, there is a compatibility problem between real time audio transmission and the limitations of commercially available IR-transceivers in that there is a long receiver set-up time after transmission due to the receiver saturation. Consequently there is a need for some approach to overcome this IR-transceiver timing problem in order to take advantage of wireless or cableless IR link technology.
Objects:
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system involving a method and means for implementing a wireless, e.g., IR, link between a phone, such as a mobile phone, and its accessories or another phone to transmit audio, control, and logical signals while overcoming the prior art timing problem.
It is another object to provide a system involving a method and means that will implement such an IR link so as to make it possible to transfer full-duplex real time audio or speech using a low speed half-duplex infrared (IR) link.
It is a further object to provide such a system that can be additionally adapted to implement the sending of a combination of real time speech and data over a low speed IR link at the same time.